Hulk Hogan - Real American - Rick Derringer - Guitar Tab

About Real American - Rick Derringer

Written by Rick Derringer, "Real American" runs at a steady 120 BPM in E major and E Standard tuning, which keeps everything approachable while still demanding real confidence in your right hand. The song's engine is a driving, chordal rhythm part built on big open-position and barre chords that need to land with authority on every downbeat. Getting that punchy, arena-sized feel is mostly about your strumming attack and muting: let the chords ring just long enough before choking them, and you'll start to hear why the track hits so hard. The chorus especially can feel rushed when you're first learning it, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop that section slowed down until the chord changes feel automatic. Hard Rock rhythm playing like this is a great workout for locking your fretting and strumming hands together under pressure. Hulk Hogan may have made it famous, but Derringer's guitar work is what gives it its teeth.

• The song sits at 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, making it a solid tempo for drilling tight barre chord changes under real rhythmic pressure.
• The signature sound comes from hard-strummed major chords with precise palm muting, so focus your practice on controlling your right-hand attack and release.
• E major gives you access to big open chord voicings, but the challenge is keeping those chords punchy and consistent across the full song.